Ojai council OKs tourism improvement district

The Ojai City Council has approved the creation of a tourism business improvement district that will also include surrounding unincorporated areas if the county Board of Supervisors agrees.

The new district allows hoteliers, bed-and-breakfast establishments and others who provide lodging to add a 1 percent charge to their bills. That could raise about $200,000 a year for the district, according to Ojai City Manager Robert Clark.

The money would be used in marketing Ojai, and the city's share would be $50,000, Clark said.

The city now pays $150,000 to advertise Ojai through the Ojai Visitors Bureau, which is managed through a contract with the Ojai Chamber of Commerce. The goal is to add restaurants and retailers to the district and increase tax revenues for the city, officials said.

County Supervisor Steve Bennett said he supports including unincorporated areas around Ojai as long as they receive equal benefits from the marketing efforts.

"The issue is to make sure they get proportional assets and they get a say (in the district)," Bennett said.

Chamber of Commerce CEO Scott Eicher said most of the region's hoteliers have expressed interest in the district and that he is optimistic they can "fast-track" its formation, with the goal of starting in early November.

The council approved the plan Tuesday night. Councilwoman Sue Horgan asked whether hotels could opt out of the district.

Eicher said that once it is established, "They are all bound."

Chris Kandziora, director of marketing and sales for the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa, spoke in favor of the district Tuesday. He said he had just come from Palm Springs, which has a tourism improvement district.

"It was a long process. It took them two years. You really are fast-tracking here," he said.

Cathy Cluff, chairwoman of the Ojai Visitors Bureau, said the group's marketing efforts have been successful. "As president of The Oaks, I can tell you the potential impact this means for our business," she said.

Cluff said the tourism district is in keeping with the council's mandate to have the marketing funded elsewhere.

"We are following the direction you gave us. We've worked hard to come up with a plan that makes sense and is fair," she said.

Mayor Betsy Clapp said sales and hotel tax revenues in Ojai, the cornerstones of the city budget, seem to be improving.

"Things are really looking better," Clapp said. "We are slowly clawing our way out of this."